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0. W. STEARNS.

- WHIST MARKER. v No. 304,370. Patented Sept. 2, 1884.

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CHARLES WV. STEARNS, OF MILTON, NEXY YORK.

WHlST-MARKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 30 1-,370, datedSeptember 2, 1884:.

Application filed September 29, 1883. (Mndeh) have invented a new anduseful Marker for WVhist and other Games, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates toan improvement in markers for Whist and othergames in which several movable pieces or counters are arranged in a flatboX or case and are caused to shoot forth, so as to show the pointsgained and the games won andthe objects of my improvement are, first,convenience in manipulating the counters; second, to hold the countersfirmly in place, so that they may not be liable to derangement; third,compactness in arrangement of the whole apparatus, while at the sametime the size of the several counters admits of their being distinctlyseen by all the players. I attain these objects by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of the under side of an oblong plate forming the bodyof one of the movable counters. Fig. 2 represents a tube with an arm orlever projecting from about the middle. Fig. 3 is aspiral springsoshaped at the ends as to afford 'a transverse combined with itslongitudinal action. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the countersfrom its under side, with the mechanism (lever, spring, &c.) by which itis operated. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the boX or case containingall the counters in position.

Similar letters refer to similar parts through out all the severalviews. a,

v The oblong plate 0 C, Fig. 1, has a flange or lip, c 0, bent downwardacross its forward end.

In the middle of this flange a rod or guidingpin, 19 p, is set parallellengthwise to the under surface of the plate 0 C. The rear half of theplate 0 O is pierced by a slot, m. extending nearly to the rear end ofthe plate at 6, while at the opposite or forward end of the slot thereis a notch, n. The tube t t, Fig. 2, having a vertical arm or lever, Z,is made to slide upon the guiding-pin, p 19, Fig. 1. while its lever Zisfitted to move freely along the slot m until it falls into the notch n.A spiral spring, 8 s, Fig. 3, somewhat longer than the body of thecounter, and having a portion of the wire at its forward end, a",straightened transversely, and

, at the opposite or rear end, or, bent in form of a hook. is slippedonto the tube, so that its rear end, .10, may be hooked on or caughtaround the lever Z. The forward end of the spring is then slipped onover the guiding-pin p p, which is also made to enter the tube, and bothtube and spring are then pushed forward until the straightened end ofthe spring, 00, rests against the flange c c. the lever Z being at thesame time made to enter the slot m. The di rect action of the springisnow to push thelever Z against the lower end of the slot ate, while theshape of the wire at each end of the spring keeps it from rotating onthe tube and guiding-pin; but before entering the lever in the slot ahalf-turn is to be given the tube, by which the spring acquires anelastic force transverse to its axis, so that when the tube is pushedfor ward this transverse force by rotating the tube causes the lever tofall into the notch n, thereby holding the spring in a compressed state.Directly the lever is disengaged from the notch the spring expands andforces the tube backward until the lever meets thelower end of the slotat 6; but if, before the lever has been disengaged from the notch, therear end of the tube has been set against a fixed point, the tube canhave no backward movement from the expansion of the spring; but insteadof that the body of the counter is driven forward. This happens when thecounters are set in a suitable box or case, B B. (Represented by Fig.5.) This case is of a flat oblong shape and constructed of a bottompiece with narrow cleats across the ends, on which rests a top'piece orcover, thus leaving a shallow space between it and the bottom. Thisspace is divided into several chambers to receive the counters by onepartition, w w, Fig. 5, running lengthwise, and several transversepartitions, a a a. Directly over the chambers holes are madein thecoverat 0 0 0, &c., to receive the levers Z Z Z, &c., projecting upwardfrom the counters underneath. After the counters are placed in theirchambers the levers are then entered through the holes in the cover, andthe cover is fastened to the lower part of the case. The rear end ofeach tube t t, Fig. 5, now rests against the longitudinal partition tow. The act of pushing the counter backward cornpresses the spring andcauses the notch to approztch the lever, which is made to fall into itby the transverse action of the same spring, and so long as the leverrests in the notch the spring is kept compressed and the counterremainssheathed within the case. This is seen on the left side of Fig. 5, wherethree of the counters are pushed back into the ease, and their levers ZZ Z, projecting through the holes 0 o 0 in the cover, by their inclinedposition, show them to be engagedin the notches of the respectivecounters underneath, while the two counters that appear DlQiGUi'll'lgforward out of the case show their leversin a more upright position,because they have been lifted out of the notches, which has allowedtheir springs to expand and force the counters to project forward out ofthe case. This forward move ment oftl'ie con ntcr conti nnes until it isarrested by the end 0 of the slot in striking against the lever, andalso by the lever itself being kept from moving forward by being putthrough a hole in theeover.

NVhatl'. claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. A game-counter composed of a box or case, a series of spring-actuatedcounters sliding within such case, and means for causing one or more ofsuch counters to project from the case, substantially as described.

:2. A game-counter composed of a box or case, a series of slidingcounters therein, a spring connected to each counter alocking device,and a releasing device, all substantially as described.

In a gamecounter, the combination ofa box or case, a series of slidingcounters, a coinbi ued torsion and pressure spring connected to eachcounter, and a locking and releasing lever, all substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination of the box or case, the slotted counters slidingtherein, the guides I p, the springs s, and the levers all substantiallyas described.

5. The combination of the slotted box or case, a series ofhorizontally-s1iding counters, guidi ngtubes I, and stems j), levers t,and combi ned torsion and pressu re springs 5, connected to the loversand to the sliding counters, substantially as described.

GHAPLIGS \V. SLEAILS.

\Vitnesses:

Turns M. Cortu, \Vi LL 1 i. Low.

